Lights
by Ail235
Summary: Future fic. One shot. The first time they've been apart in a year and a half really puts things into perspective.


A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at writing Sam/Quorra so I don't know how in character it is but I did set it about a year and a half after 'Tron: Legacy' to get away with some stuff. The Tron wiki page was also very, very useful in providing good information.

The song I used that inspired me is "Lights" by Journey. Awesome, awesome song. I couldn't help but to think of these two when I heard the song after I saw the movie. Enjoy!

Oh yeah, disclaimer: all the good stuff (i.e. characters, setting, song, etc.) don't belong to me.

_When the lights go down in the city_

It didn't take long to hear her voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello Sam Flynn."

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine Sam. I'm a big girl; I can handle staying alone for a few days."

"Lora's there isn't she?"

She paused then laughed. "Yes, she is."

"How long did it take her?"

"I believe she arrived about an hour after you left."

"Typical."

"She's just worried about me while you're off in India playing CEO." She paused again. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing good. It's exciting." He hoped she wouldn't hear the stress in his voice.

"Honestly?"

"Yes honestly."

"Sam." He knew that tone of voice. After over a year and half, they knew all of each other's quirks.

"I promise I'm fine." A small smile found its way to his face and some of the tension started rolling off of his shoulders.

"Shouldn't you be asleep? I know it's late there and I assume you have a day full of meetings ahead of you."

"I'll be fine."

"I have absolutely no confidence in the validity that statement."

"Thanks Q," he said dryly, "Been reading the thesaurus again while I've been gone?" He could already see her sticking her tongue back out at him as he heard her scoff indignantly. Sam turned toward his hotel window to see the city lights twinkling back at him. The sky started to lighten signaling the approach of the sun. "Sun's about to come up here," he stated "How's home?"

_And the sun shines on the bay,_

"I'm sitting outside actually. The sun has almost set. I love the way-"

"The light reflects off of the water. I know." He said with a gentle laugh.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a beat before she spoke again. "I don't like being here without you, it's odd."

"What do you mean odd?"

Quorra picked at the grass next. "The house is empty. I don't like it. I mean, Marvin is better company than you sometimes but you have your advantages every once in a while."

"I resent that." He said flatly.

"I know," she giggled. "I finished my book today. I'm going to the bookstore tomorrow to pick up another one."

"I think you are the only person in the city keeping them in business."

"I like the feeling and the smell of a book; I can't get that from the e-reader thing you want to get me so bad. Just accept it."

"Yeah, well, you do love that smell." He suppressed his laugh.

"Don't patronize me Sam Flynn." It was hard to scold him when she knew he was smiling on the other end of the line, trying to hold back his rich laugh. "You need to get some rest so you won't fall asleep during your meetings."

"I know, I know. I just wanted to call and check on you."

"I was going to check on you later today but you beat me to it."

They each knew the unspoken part in their exchange. She didn't want to let him go anymore than he did her.

"Alright, well I guess I should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah, good night Sam."

"Night Q."

_Do I want to be there in my city?_

_Ooh, ooh_

Sam glanced at the clock and knew he had to be in a meeting in exactly two hours. He ran a hand through his short hair and sat down on the bed.

India was his first big test as CEO. If they couldn't find an agreement, then all of his work over the last year and a half would've been for nothing. The pressure of the merger weighed heavily on his shoulders.

To be fair, Alan had offered to take point on the proceedings and allow Sam to observe until he felt ready, but he honestly stated that there would never be a point when he felt ready. He didn't tell Quorra, but stepping into the old man's shoes was a bigger task than he had anticipated. When they returned from the grid, he felt a purpose. He knew he needed to protect Quorra and he knew he needed to take ENCOM back to bring it back to what his father envisioned. Now, he went home most days not knowing if he made the right decision.

Quorra spent all of her time in the lab with Lora running trials and experiments to unlock her unique DNA code before it mutated completely and left nothing of her original digital encoding. They discovered early on that as she spent more time in the human world, her body and her genetic code became more human.

He left the option to her from the very beginning and even though he was against it, she was adamant that it is what his father would want. Flynn would want the miracle of the ISO's shared with the world. Sam also knew that his father wouldn't want it to come at the expense of locking her up within the confines of a cold, sterile lab.

The argument lasted for months. It culminated in Sam spending half the night talking to her through the corrugated metal of the garage door at the old apartment before they finally reached a compromise. He realized he wasn't allowing her to make her own decisions but she realized that he only wanted to protect her, however caveman his attempts were.

He remembered watching as the garage door lifted revealing Quorra sitting opposite him with watery eyes but an understanding look. It didn't matter that he had sat in the cold for hours and his lower body felt completely numb. When he saw her, he smiled and pulled her into his arms.

It wouldn't be their only argument.

Their relationship raced from newfound friends to roommates and partners in a span of eight hours. They had to learn each other's habits and quirks. For every argument, something revealed itself and for every good moment, they created a memory they'd be able to share forever. Lora called the tumultuous first months 'growing pains' and assured him that it would pass. He honestly hadn't begun to believe her until he arrived home after a long day with the board.

Quorra had his favorite beer ready and his toolbox waiting by his dad's bike. She simply sat on the couch and read as he tinkered his frustrations away. It didn't hit him until he was wiping his hands on a rag that she already knew what he needed after a bad day. He didn't have to explain or pretend that everything was fine. She knew he felt stressed and how he de-stressed so she left him to it. When she awoke the next morning, Sam had already left for ENCOM but her favorite muffins sat waiting for her along with a bow and a small note that said thanks.

_So you think you're lonely._

Quorra slowly brought the thin phone down from her ear and stared at its screen. A picture of her and Sam at the beach stared back at her. Their wide smiles made something prickle at her eyes. He'd only left three days ago but she already missed his presence at the house.

His jacket wasn't thrown over the back of the couch. She wasn't tripping over his shoes at the door. She didn't have to shut the back door constantly. Marvin now pulled at her leg every time he needed to go out. She didn't hear his banging in the garage at one in the morning or his exclamation of pain five hours later when he was in the kitchen trying to get a coffee fix before going to work and never waiting until the liquid cooled. She even missed waking up at six in the morning after hearing his cursing, shoving a cold glass of water in his hand, and sticking the coffee in the refrigerator for a few minutes while she made him some toast. She'd been excited about sleeping in but instead, she found herself staring at the ceiling while the clock read six every morning.

"Q, sweetie, come inside. It's getting cold; I don't want you getting sick." Lora stuck her head out of the front door interrupting her thoughts.

Quorra smiled. She knew her DNA was but she was still an ISO and a common cold wasn't going to attack her system. Lora treated her like a daughter and she'd been the only person Quorra could turn to when her body started functioning like a normal human female body. The first brush at the subject left Sam flustered and calling Lora in a matter of minutes. "I'm coming."

She took one last look at the water before heading inside. "Sam called while I was outside." Quorra announced as she shut the front door.

She could see Lora raise her eyebrow from her place in the kitchen. "Really now? How is Sammy doing in India?" She placed a bowl of soup in front of Quorra once she sat at the bar.

"He said he's fine."

Lora watched Quorra pick up the spoon and play with the noodles idly. "You don't believe him?"

She already knew the answer to the question. When she first met Quorra, she saw the tension between them. They wanted each other but the timing couldn't be worse. Sam had just lost his father, again, and Quorra was in a brand new world. They dealt with the tension like all mature adults and argued kitchen sink style. Even through the rough times, she always had faith that the fighting would stop. Then one day, it did and they functioned flawlessly like she always knew they would.

Quorra hesitated before she nodded. "I know when he's not telling me the whole truth. I know he's feeling overwhelmed. I could hear it in his voice."

"Well, it's a big step for him. It took a long time to earn his CEO position and this is his first big business deal. Took him 27 years to grow up and accept the company, I'm sure it's a lot to handle at once but he'll be okay." Lora assured her with a smile. "He's just as resilient as his father."

Quorra spooned some soup into her mouth as she thought things over. She knew he was strong but she made a promise to herself long ago that if he supported her then she would support him unequivocally. It was hard to do so when he was on the opposite side of the planet.

_Well, my friend, I'm lonely too._

Sam flopped back and breathed deeply. He missed California, he missed his dog but most of all, he missed Quorra. They were four days over schedule and he hadn't had a chance to talk to her since his first phone call. It seemed that his international business partners weren't looking for fair play as much as they were under the table dealings. Alan told him that they could pull out at any time. He said it wouldn't show incompetence in Sam. It would expose the shady dealings of the other company but he had already invested a week and a half into the deal with little sleep. Making sure it went through meant bringing hundreds of jobs to the city, something he knew was badly needed.

Nevertheless, he was still Sam Flynn. Now more than ever, he wanted to be home riding his motorcycle on the open road or sitting at home with Quorra making a joke about something silly. He missed trying her daily cooking experiments and Marvin's barking whenever she turned the music up and attempted to dance around the living room. He didn't want the jet setting life; he'd have enough of that when he was running around with no responsibilities. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life looking out at the world through different hotel windows and never seeing the actual cities.

His phone rang and turned to see Quorra smiling face looking back at him as the phone vibrated on the nightstand. He couldn't help the tired smile as he picked up the phone. "Hi Q."

"Sam?" She sounded relieved. "You don't know how glad I am to hear your voice."

He immediately worried. Was she okay? Was Marvin okay? "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just…it's been more than a week since I talked to you. I mean, I know you're busy but I felt worried." Her voice sounded small and he knew it wasn't the connection.

Sam instantly felt the guilt grow in the pit of his stomach. "I'm sorry, things are all shot to hell here and I literally just got back from meetings. I should've called you sooner."

"No, it's all right. I know you've been busy; it's just that, I've missed you. This is the longest we've been apart and I was starting to forget what your voice sounded like." She laughed softly. "What's going on? Honestly."

Sam sighed. "They rejected our offer then came to us later in that night during dinner and presented us with an illegal offer. They've been trying to strong-arm us into accepting. That's why we've taken so long to come back."

"What are you going to do?"

"We're trying to push back against them and get them accept our deal but they're not biting so Alan is getting us on a plane as back to the states as soon as he can."

"You're not happy about that." It wasn't a question.

"It's just…we could be helping so many people here Q. This could mean hundreds of new jobs and they don't even care, they just want the money. This is my first major deal and I failed."

"You didn't fail. You know what you're doing Sam. Do you honestly think Alan would let you do this if you weren't? You'll never admit it, but you're worried about what the board is going to do when you get back. You're worried they're going to think they put their faith into the wrong person but they didn't."

Her optimism in him never faded and suddenly, he felt more appreciative of her than ever before. The plans started forming in his head for a good surprise whenever he returned to their side of the world.

"Sam? Are you still there?" her voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm here. Thanks Q."

"For what?"

He shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Even if he did recognize that she was the main support in is his life, it didn't mean that he was good at saying it. "For everything. I don't think I tell you that enough."

"You don't have to say thanks." He could feel her smile on the phone.

_I want to get back to my city by the bay._

Frustration rolled off of Sam in waves as he paced back and forth. Alan chose to sit long ago and entertained himself with watching Sam brood angrily. It seemed fate loved playing with Sam. First, their business deal fell through, which wasn't his fault. Then, their supposed business partners tried to keep them in the country to force the two ENCOM representatives to take the deal. Now, through some horrible coincidence, their flight was grounded and they were stuck waiting at the airport.

"Pacing isn't going to do anything Sam. You're just going to wear yourself out and we have 26 hours to travel," Alan tried to reason with him again.

Sam just shook his head and gritted his teeth. "This is ridiculous. All I want to do is get out of here and get back to the states. We're a week over schedule, I think I sprouted gray hair and some wrinkles while we've been here, I don't think I'll ever get the smell of cow out of my nose, and now the plane that's finally going to take us out of here has electrical issues?"

"There are things in life that you can't control. I'm going to get some coffee; you can wear a hole in the floor." Alan stood and walked over to the small area of food stands.

Sam watched him as he walked away and kept pacing. To say he felt impatient was an understatement. He itched to get back and all that stood in his way was an electrical problem in the right wing. He wanted to run out onto the runway and fix it himself but two problems stood in his way. Security would probably tackle him before he got anywhere and he didn't know the first thing about the electrical wiring of a plane.

Instead, he threw himself into a hard plastic chair and let out a small growl as he ran his hand through his hair again. He was sure his hair looked crazy but he didn't care. The burning desire to be anywhere but that airport overpowered everything. Alan's proposal for a private jet looked more and more appealing as the clock ticked on.

Suddenly, the intercom announced their flight would begin boarding in half an hour and he breathed a deep sigh of relief. The next 26 hours would be easy compared to the extreme impatience he felt now. Alan sat down next to him and handed him a coffee cup, seemingly amused.

"I told you things would work out. Happy now?"

Sam just took a sip of the coffee and winced as it burned his tongue. He smiled despite the pain. By this time tomorrow, he would be back in California with Quorra and Marvin.

_It's sad, oh there's been mornings out on the road without you,_

Quorra tried to hide the extent of her sadness as she threw her bag into the trunk of the black sedan sent to pick her up. She knew it was important trip and it wasn't scheduled purposely but she would miss Sam's homecoming. They needed the biotech equipment to be able to continue with research at ENCOM instead of outsourcing to another lab.

That situation was completely out of the question. Of all the things they argued over, the one thing they agreed on was the need for a trusted staff of researchers that wasn't going to blab the nature of their research or its origins. Quorra was Flynn's gift to the world but it didn't mean that he wanted her to be exploited for what she was and where she came from.

Lora thoroughly researched all of the people she brought onto the team and where she purchased all of the equipment for the lab. One of the perks of living with the CEO and being married to the chair of the ENCOM board was that the two women got around any and all security restrictions and had an almost limitless budget. In exchange, they spent hours and hours in the lab doing most of the research themselves. It meant that more often than not, she and Sam only saw each other in passing or at the office with both of their busy schedules.

Quorra left a message on his phone as well as a note on the side table in the living room letting him know that she was flying out to North Carolina for a few days to pick up some equipment. She also reminded him to pick Marvin up from the kennel once he got home. She settled into the leather of the seat and toyed with a loose thread.

She needed to see Sam. She'd been able to get along for hundreds of cycles without him and now, he was gone two weeks and she was dying on the inside. She needed to hear his voice and see his face. Every time a car drove by, she glanced at the window hoping it was Sam but it never was. He was still on the other side of the world and it seemed those distances were working against her to keep her apart from him.

Her phone vibrated in her jacket pocket and she saw Sam's name light up the screen. "Did your flight already land?"

"No, we're in Amsterdam right now. Our flight out of India was delayed so we missed our original connecting flight. They were able to put us on one for later tonight so I'm gonna be late getting home. Or early. Actually I don't even know what time it is." His voice sounded exhausted.

"Have you checked your messages?"

"Yes?" when she didn't respond, he sighed. "No, should I?"

"Well, it doesn't matter now since I'm talking to you. I'm flying out to North Carolina for a few days with Lora so I won't be here when you arrive."

"What? Why are you two going to North Carolina?"

"There's a biotechnology company in Charlotte where Lora is thinking about buying some of the new equipment for the lab. We're going to meet with the representative."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed and instantly she felt worse than she had before.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to be here when you returned but this just came up. The trials-"

"They're close, I know. We can't waste any more time before we lose your entire digital DNA. You don't have to apologize Q. That's life."

"You sound upset." She said softly.

"I'm not upset, I promise." He paused. "I just miss you and I miss home. How long is your trip?"

"Three days unless Lora ends up buying all the equipment there but she said she wanted to look around before making a decision." She sounded regretful about the whole trip and Sam felt guilty that she felt so bad.

"What's three more days? Besides, I probably won't even be back in the city until late tomorrow if we don't have another delay."

"Regardless, I had wanted to be home to welcome you back. If it wasn't for the picture of us on my phone, I would've forgotten what you look like."

He couldn't help but laugh and it felt good. "Don't worry Q, soon as you get back we'll go somewhere special."

Quorra lit up. "Really? Where?"

"I'll figure it out by the time you get back. Just...be careful and don't attack the luggage guys again. I can't be there to stop you from getting arrested."

"I know that Sam. You act like I was just redigitized yesterday."

He scoffed and Quorra knew he'd rolled his eyes as well. "It happened like, two months ago. I wasn't aware that you'd gotten so much flying experience since then."

"Oh shut up." She couldn't help but smile despite the bickering.

_Without your charms, _

_Ooh, my, my, my, my, my_

They implemented a phone tag game over the next few days as they passed through meetings and airport lines. The only way they heard from each other were through voicemail messages.

** Beep.**

"Quorra, I can't find my toolbox. Do you remember where I left it?"

** Beep.**

"Sam, your toolbox is in the garage where it's always been. I just put it on a shelf so I wouldn't trip over it every time I did laundry. Did you remember to pick up Marvin?"

** Beep.**

"It's me. Yes, I remembered to pick up Marvin. How is the trip going? Don't let Lora go crazy with buying equipment."

** Beep.**

"Sam, I just got a call from Ms. Steinman next door. Are you okay? She left a message about smoke and fire trucks and an ambulance. I don't know where she was but all I heard were sirens in the back. Call me. I'm worried. And how did she get my number?"

** Beep.**

"Hey Q, I just got your last message. Don't worry every thing is fine. I was just adjusting the fuel intake on the motorcycle and Marv and me had a small accident. Are you on your way home yet? And I have no idea how she got your number but she keeps giving me those dirty looks again."

** Beep.**

"Hi Sam, we're on our way to the airport now. I'll be home soon and I really hope you didn't burn down the garage. She's probably giving you dirty looks because I ran away the other day when she saw me. I didn't want to hear her lecture me again on how we're living in sin, I just don't understand it."

** Beep.**

"So I know you're probably picking up your bags from baggage claim but the car just came to pick me up. I completely forgot that the new game is moving to the final stages of testing so I'm flying down to L.A. to get an update and see how the new software is working. I left Marvin with Alan. I'll be back tomorrow night."

** Beep.**

"Sam Flynn, I am going to kill you! There are scorch marks all over and water is still dripping in the garage! You are so lucky I don't have my light disc! You better duck when you get home."

** Beep.**

Sam winced as he brought the phone down from his ear. The angry message continued but he couldn't bring himself to listen to all of it. He knew she'd be angry so when Alan mentioned the game testers in L.A. were moving on to approving the game, he volunteered to fly down and make some final adjustments to the software. She would need some time to calm down before she attempted to strangle him to death, which she was very capable of.

Alan had given him a strange look when he'd jumped up so passionately then remembered the small "accident" that had taken place in the garage the day before. He'd called Sam a coward for not willing to face her but Sam responded that he'd rather be a coward than dead so off he went to the airport.

He expected that she knew exactly why he chose to fly off on "business" the day she was due to return but he was man enough to admit that Quorra could leave him bruised. She had spent all of her life on the grid as a warrior and while he'd picked up some fighting skills during a long stint in Brazil, she could still kick his ass.

Sam walked out of the game testing facility and hopped into his rental car. He'd gotten a tip about a bookstore specializing in rare books. Hopefully, there would be a good apology waiting for him among the shelves.

_When the lights go down in the city_

Quorra stared out of the living room window as the night sky started dimming. The lights shining from the skyline started going out one by one. She shifted on the couch and pulled the throw blanket tighter around her shoulders. She hadn't been able to sleep so she moved out to the living room and flicked the TV on in hopes that it would numb her brain but it hadn't done anything except give her a headache. She turned it off, lay down on the couch facing the big bay window, and watched the city.

The one thing she missed from the apartment was the proximity to the city and all of its sounds. Out here on the other side of the bay, it was quiet and peaceful. It hadn't been easy convincing Sam to move back into his childhood home. When they declared his father legally dead, the property passed to Sam who lived in it until he left for college then only looked back at the house to pack it up and one day sell it.

He'd forgotten about it until they passed through the neighborhood one day by coincidence. She fell in love with the openness of the house and the windows. After seeing all the other apartments in the city and knowing that Sam's current residence wasn't appropriate for the two of them, he started the long tradition of giving in to her.

She set about moving the furniture in and moving things over from the apartment to the house. They argued over what would stay and what needed to be trashed, like his moldy couch. Eventually, the house reflected both of their tastes with maybe even a little bit of Flynn's influence thrown in. It was eclectic but it suited them.

The giant bay window was what immediately drew her in. The thought of waking up in the morning and being able to look out of the window to see the city excited her. It reminded her so much of the home she shared with Flynn where she could look out at Tron City. However, unlike the grid, the city never looked the same. Each day she woke up and saw a different city looking back at her. It depended on the weather some days but mostly, the city had a rhythm and pulse to it that she had never encountered before. It reminded her that her heart beat steadily in her chest and she was human.

The familiar black sedan came to a stop in front of the house and Quorra watched as the driver got out of the car and went to the trunk. A few seconds later, the back passenger door opened and Sam stepped out, looking haggard. She immediately knew that he had hoped to get in early enough so that she would still be asleep. However, she hadn't seen him in over two weeks and his presence sent her flying off of the couch and out into the yard.

Sam turned when he saw the front door opened and didn't bother trying to hide from Quorra. He simply held his arms open as she jumped into them and hugged him fiercely. He wrapped his arms tightly around her to hold her close. He breathed a sigh of relief as her familiar scent wafted into his nose and he turned his head to bury it into her slender neck.

_And the sun shines on the bay,_

"Hey Q, did you miss me?" He said softly against her neck.

Quorra shivered as the words reverberated through her body from his contact on her skin. "You missed me too." She untangled herself from him and took a step back to drink him in. The sight of the sun coming up over the water and the familiar smile pulling on the corner of his lips made her feel at peace. She had been missing something while he'd been gone and it had been him.

"So I thought you were coming in tonight? Unless you thought that you could sneak in while I was sleeping and try to make breakfast so I wouldn't throw anything within reach at your head for burning my garage." Quorra raised an eyebrow.

Sam at least had the decency to look sheepish as he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, about that, it's really not as bad as it looks. Or sounds."

"You can explain after you make waffles and take Marvin on his morning walk. I didn't get much sleep last night." She smirked then headed inside leaving Sam with his bags.

Sam couldn't help but laugh softly as he thanked the driver, grabbed his bag and followed Quorra inside. The house finally felt like home with the both of them in it. She slept peacefully for the first time in two weeks and he greeted an excited Marvin that couldn't wait to go for a walk with his dearly missed owner. When they returned, he opened the back door so Marvin could run in and out, as he pleased and he began to cook breakfast.

The smell of blueberry waffles drifted into Quorra's room and her stomach woke her from her short nap. She smiled as she threw the blanket off and padded into the kitchen. She paused when she saw the back door open and rolled her eyes as she pulled it shut. She cursed softly as she tripped over his shoe when she stepped away from the door. She spotted the black leather jacket haphazardly thrown over the back of one of the dining table chairs and though she felt the familiar annoyance, she welcomed it. She grabbed the jacket and hung it in its rightful place in the coat closet. She stepped into the kitchen where Sam greeted her with a lazy smile.

"Did you sleep alright?"

Quorra nodded as she peeked over his shoulder. She watched him flip the omelet in the pan then moved back and hopped up to sit on the opposite counter by the sink. He turned the stove off after a few minutes and turned toward her. Their eyes met and he leaned against the counter as he held her gaze.

"Food smells good." She commented.

Sam only smirked. "Are we really going to keep doing this?"

"What do you mean?" Quorra raised her eyebrow and challenged him.

Sam stepped forward. He stood between her legs and his hands came up to rest on the cabinets behind her head. The mischievous smirk never left his lips as he closed the distance between them. "What I mean is, are you going to welcome me home properly? We haven't seen each other in about two weeks."

"You burned my garage." She said simply. She could feel his warm breath ghosting on her face. His scent filled her nostrils again and that familiar feeling came back. Her heart beat faster; she felt butterflies in her stomach, and an electric current went up her spine. She refused to let it show.

Sam's head dropped to her shoulder as he chuckled. He looked back up at her apologetically but still smiling. "I'm sorry. I was trying to find a better fuel mixture for the Ducati. I wanted it to go faster. "

"And you had to do it in the garage?"

"Would you prefer I did it in the kitchen? You have to admit that the garage was the best choice."

"I'd rather not have charred walls and puddles to avoid whenever I walk into the garage." She tried to suppress the slight smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

Sam caught it and smiled himself. "I got your car out of there before I did anything and I will repaint and take care of the water myself."

Quorra managed to keep a straight face for a few moments longer before her resolve broke and she laughed. Her hands came up to tangle themselves in his hair as he leaned down to capture her mouth in a searing kiss.

_Do I want to be there in my city?_

_Ooh, ooh_

Sam's arms wrapped around her tightly and pulled her flush against his hard body. She giggled into his mouth as her legs encircled his waist and closed the remaining distance between them. He responded in kind by nibbling her bottom lip asking for entrance. Her mouth eagerly opened for him. She missed his mouth and the instant electric feeling that ran through her body whenever their mouths met.

Quorra moaned as his hands ran up her bare back. The calluses on his hands from riding around and spending so many painstaking hours working on his motorcycle didn't feel rough but set a fire under her skin. The intensity with which he kissed her did nothing to calm that fire. Sam poured everything into the kiss. All of the yearning and frustration he felt during their time apart came out and she responded with her own kind of intensity that made his brain hazy. Eventually, the lack of air became too much and they parted. Sam rested his forehead against hers as they both panted. She smiled and he kissed her softly.

"I'm assuming this means I'm forgiven?" He asked against her lips.

"That all depends on how good your waffles are." She said cheekily.

Sam laughed as he kissed her again then lifted her off of the counter. He set her on her feet and turned back toward the omelet waiting for him. Quorra waited until he transferred it to an empty plate before she hugged him from behind and buried her nose into his strong back. His hand came up and intertwined with hers. He leaned back into her and closed his eyes as he took in the feeling of her arms around him and the warmth of her body. Sam squeezed her thin hand and breathed deeply.

All of his tension disappeared with her presence. The smallest smile or quietest laugh from her made a wide grin appear on his face. He'd never experienced that before with anyone else and it just made him that much more grateful that he had her by his side. Their partnership was something he valued above all else. He never stood in front of her or put her on a pedestal. She never deferred to him or thought herself better. Regardless of her origins, they were equals. Whenever things got rough, they stood back to back ready to fight for each other.

Quorra released him and he heard her setting the table to eat breakfast on the back porch. He prepared her blueberry waffles on her plate and set it aside as he prepped his own omelet plate. When he joined Quorra outside, she didn't hesitate to dig into her waffles. She complimented him on his culinary ability but his mind was elsewhere. He could see the sun coming up over the city skyline and illuminating everything. It used to seem like a trap, a place that only reminded him of his dad and the path they were trying to force him to follow. He did everything he could to run away from it and see the world. Now, he found he couldn't think of anywhere else to be and the reason sat next to him making a mess of her waffles with a speck of syrup forgotten on the corner of her mouth.

"Sam? Are you all right?" She touched his arm lightly and brought him out his thoughts.

He looked at her and chuckled before he leaned over to lick the sticky substance from her lips. It turned into a deeper kiss and Quorra felt his ever-present smile. She had her answer and pulled away as her stomach cried out for more waffles.

"You're still repainting the garage yourself."

"What if I said, I bought you a new book while I was in L.A.?"

"...What kind of book?"


End file.
